At its campaign launch in Gisborne on Sunday, Te Pāti Māori asked its supporters for something no party had requested so openly before: candidate votes for the party, party votes for its allies on the left.
At its campaign launch in Gisborne on Sunday, Te Pāti Māori told its supporters to split their votes: candidate votes for the party, party votes for its allies on the left.
As we prepare for another election under the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system, it is worth noting that New Zealand is one of the few nations to have adopted this electoral model.
On 14 October, the same day Australia will vote on the Voice referendum, New Zealanders will also go to the polls, to elect a new Parliament.
New Zealand appears to be one of the few Western-style democracies still showing any signs of political stability.
Personally, I find it perplexing why any country would import the mixed member proportional electoral system from Germany.
German constituency MPs thus also lack the degree of personal independence that we would often find in countries with a first-past-the-post system.
It is a very useful experience to travel to the scenes of political disaster.
Given Germany’s experience, it is high time New Zealand starting thinking carefully about the future of its electoral system.
After 13 years of Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) representation, Prime Minister John Key has said it is time to ‘kick the tyres’ and see how much support the system enjoys.
© Dr Oliver Hartwich